The present invention generally relates to a light amplifier for a wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) optical transmission system, and more particularly to a light amplifier having a two-stage configuration which eliminates a wavelength-dependence of the gain of the light amplifier.
Recently, an optical communications network has increasingly been used in practice. Nowadays, it is required that the optical communications network cope with multi-media networking. A WDM system is more attractive, particularly in terms of an increase in the transmission capacity. In order to realize the WDM system, it is necessary to use a multi-wavelength light amplifier capable of amplifying a wavelength division multiplexed signal. It is required that such a multi-wavelength light amplifier does not have wavelength-dependence of the gain, which is further required not to be changed due to a variation in the power of the input light.
A light amplifier is known which has an optical fiber doped with a rare-earth element and directly amplifies the input light. There has been some activity in the development of a multi-wavelength light amplifier which amplifies a wavelength division multiplexed light signal including signal components having different wavelengths (channels).
However, normally, the rare-earth-element doped fiber amplifier has a very narrow range in which the gain thereof does not have the wavelength-dependence. In this regard, nowadays, there is no available light amplifier which can practically be used for the WDM system. That is, there is no available light amplifier which does not have wavelength-dependence of the gain, which is not changed due to a variation in the power of the input light. Particularly, the wavelength-dependence of the gain, which takes place when the input power changes, deteriorates the signal-to-noise ratio with respect to a particular signal. This prevents the multi-wavelength light amplifier from being used in practice.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a multi-wavelength light amplifier in which the above disadvantages are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a multi-wavelength light amplifier which does not have wavelength-dependence of the gain, which is not changed due to a variation in the power of the input light.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a multi-wavelength light amplifier comprising: a first-stage light amplifier which has a first light amplifying optical fiber amplifying a light input; a second-stage light amplifier which has a second light amplifying optical fiber amplifying a first light output from the first-stage light amplifier; and an optical system which maintains a second light output of the second-stage light amplifier at a constant power level. The first-stage and second-stage light amplifiers have different gain vs wavelength characteristics so that the multi-wavelength light amplifier has no wavelength-dependence of a gain.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier comprises a first pump source which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a first gain vs wavelength characteristic in which, as a wavelength of light to be amplified becomes shorter, a gain of the first-stage light amplifier becomes higher. The second-stage light amplifier comprises a second pump source which pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a second gain vs wavelength characteristic in which, as a wavelength of light to be amplified becomes longer, a gain of the first-stage light amplifier becomes higher.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier comprises a first pump source which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a first gain vs wavelength characteristic having a first linear gain slope. The second-stage light amplifier comprises a second pump source which pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a second gain vs wavelength characteristic having a second linear gain slope. A combination of the first and second linear gain slopes results in a flat gain vs wavelength characteristic of the multi-wavelength light amplifier.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may further comprise an optical filter which emphasizes the gain vs wavelength characteristic of the first-stage light amplifier.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may further comprise an optical filter which compensates for a difference between the gain vs wavelength characteristics of the first-stage light amplifier and the second-stage light amplifier.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The optical filter is provided so as to follow the first-stage light amplifier. The first-stage light amplifier comprises a first pump source which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a first gain vs wavelength characteristic having a first linear gain slope. The second-stage light amplifier comprises a second pump source which pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a second gain vs wavelength characteristic having a second linear gain slope. The optical filter emphasizes the first linear gain slope to provide an emphasized first linear gain slope. A combination of the emphasized first linear slope and the second linear gain slope results in a flat gain vs wavelength characteristic of the multi-wavelength light amplifier.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The optical filter is provided so as to follow the first-stage light amplifier. The first-stage light amplifier comprises a first pump source which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a first gain vs wavelength characteristic having a first linear gain slope. The second-stage light amplifier comprises a second pump source which pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so as to have a second gain vs wavelength characteristic having a second linear gain slope. The optical filter compensates for the difference between the first and second linear gain slopes so that a flat gain vs wavelength characteristic of the multi-wavelength light amplifier can be obtained.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier has a first AGC (automatic gain control) system so that a ratio of the input light and the first light output is constant. The second-stage light amplifier has a second AGC system so that a ratio of the first light output and the second light output is constant.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier has an AGC (automatic gain control) system so that a ratio of the input light and the first light output is constant. The second-stage light amplifier has an automatic power control (APC) system so that the second light amplifying optical fiber is pumped at a predetermined constant power level.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier has an AGC (automatic gain control) system so that a ratio of the input light and the first light output is constant. The second-stage light amplifier has an automatic level control (ALC) system so that the second light output is maintained at a predetermined constant power level.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first AGC system comprises first means for detecting a first level of the light input and a second level of the first light output and pumping the first light amplifying optical fiber so that a ratio of the first and second levels is maintained at a first predetermined constant value. The second AGC system comprises second means for detecting a third level of the first light output and a fourth level of the second light output and pumping the second light amplifying optical fiber so that a ratio of the third and fourth levels is maintained at a second predetermined constant value.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier has a first AGC (automatic gain control) system which detects a first amplified spontaneous emission of the first light amplifying optical fiber and pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so that the first amplified spontaneous emission is maintained at a first predetermined constant level. The second-stage light amplifier has a second AGC system which detects a second amplified spontaneous emission of the second light amplifying optical fiber and pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so that the second amplified spontaneous emission is maintained at a second predetermined constant level.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier has a first-AGC (automatic gain control) system which detects a first pump light propagated through the first light amplifying optical fiber and pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber so that the first pump light is maintained at a first predetermined constant level. The second-stage light amplifier has a second AGC system which detects a second pump light propagated through the second light amplifying optical fiber and pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber so that the second pump light is maintained at a second predetermined constant level.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The first-stage light amplifier comprises a first pump source which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber through a first coupler so as to have a first gain vs wavelength characteristic in which as a wavelength of light to be amplified becomes shorter, a gain of the first-stage light amplifier becomes higher. The second-stage light amplifier comprises a second pump source which pumps the second light amplifying optical fiber through a second coupler so as to have a second gain vs wavelength characteristic in which as a wavelength of light to be amplified becomes longer, a gain of the first-stage light amplifier becomes higher. At least one of the first and second couplers has a characteristic which emphasizes one of the gain vs wavelength characteristics of the first-stage and second-stage light amplifiers.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The optical system which maintains the second light output of the second-stage light amplifier at a constant power level comprises a variable attenuator which is provided between the first-stage light amplifier and the second-stage light amplifier and attenuates the first output signal on the basis of the power level of the second light output.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The optical system which maintains the second light output of the second-stage light amplifier at a constant power level comprises a variable attenuator which is provided so as to follow the second-stage light amplifier and attenuates the second output signal on the basis of the power level of an attenuated second light output from the variable attenuator.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may be configured as follows. The optical system which maintains the second light output of the second-stage light amplifier at a constant power level comprises a variable attenuator which is provided between the first-stage light amplifier and the second-stage light amplifier and attenuates the first output signal on the basis of the power level of an attenuated first light output from the variable attenuator.
The above multi-wavelength light amplifier may further comprise a rejection filter which is provided between the first-stage light amplifier and the second-stage light amplifier and prevents a pump light which pumps the first light amplifying optical fiber from being transmitted to the second-stage light amplifier.